Carnegie Hall Launches New National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Carnegie Hall today announced the launch of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, a major new initiative that, beginning in summer 2013, will bring together the most talented young orchestral players from across the United States.  

Created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, the NYO-USA provides an opportunity for 120 exceptional young musicians (ages 16-19) from across the US to come together with their peers, supported by a faculty of leading professional orchestra musicians and a different celebrated conductor each year, for a two-week intensive musical residency, followed by an international tour to top music capitals around the world.  Musicians are invited to apply to this tuition-free program, which is designed to shine a light on the extraordinary talent of young American instrumentalists, offering each NYO-USA member a transformative musical and cultural experience as they develop their musical skills, receive training at the highest professional level, and travel abroad, serving as musical youth ambassadors for the US.  

"We are creating the National Youth Orchestra of the USA in order to offer the finest young instrumentalists nationwide the inspirational opportunity to make and share music at the highest level," said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director.  "We are confident that the tremendous talent, energy, and enthusiasm found within America's young players will make the NYO-USA experience a remarkable one, both for participants and audiences around the world.  Students will not only have the opportunity to make music with gifted peers from all corners of the US, but their playing will be further elevated as they are mentored by orchestral players of the highest caliber and led by the extraordinary Valery Gergiev, representing the best of their country around the globe."

World-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev will lead the orchestra in its inaugural year. Students will come together to create the NYO-USA, the first US national youth orchestra in recent history, from June 30 through July 23, 2013.  Following a rigorous two-week training residency on the campus of Purchase College, State University of New York, Mr. Gergiev will conduct the orchestra in its debut performances at Purchase College's Performing Arts Center and Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, followed by an exciting international tour spanning Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London with program to include Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 in E Minor.  Tour dates, venues for all cities, and complete concert program will be announced in early 2013.   Due to ongoing construction, the NYO-USA will first perform at Carnegie Hall in summer 2014.

"I was very excited to be asked to conduct the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America in its first year," said Maestro Gergiev, who is also music director of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra as well as founder and artistic director of several major international music festivals.  "I think every youth orchestra around the world is very important, and I expect that the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, in particular, will be very highly accomplished, both technically and artistically.  I look forward to getting to know many new, gifted musicians—sharing ideas, learning together, and going on a cultural journey, discovering new places.  For students, I expect playing in the NYO-USA will be an honor, a challenge, a pleasure, and an unforgettable experience not to be missed."

Purchase College, State University of New York, will be a key partner in Carnegie Hall's new NYO-USA initiative.  During their two-week residency, orchestra members will be housed on Purchase College's scenic campus, located in Westchester County, just north of New York City, where they will undertake their initial training and rehearsals.  This will include coaching and mentoring by players from top American orchestras and other activities in preparation for upcoming performances and the orchestra's international tour.  All rehearsals and training will be centered at the College's highly-regarded Performing Arts Center and in the rehearsal studios of its School for the Arts Conservatory of Music.  Capping the students' stay and the launch of the NYO-USA's performance activities will be a concert at the College's PAC for the public and college community.  The project marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership between Carnegie Hall and Purchase College in which the two organizations will share resources and explore collaborations in support of their missions and shared educational goals. For more information about Purchase College, State University of New York, please visit www.purchase.edu.

Important funding for the launch of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America has been provided by Joan and Sanford I. Weill and The Weill Family Foundation; the Rockefeller Foundation; and the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

"Joan and I are so excited about this new program which brings together the best in music and education, challenging young musicians to reach their full potential while also offering them the opportunity to use the arts to meaningfully connect with people around the world," said Sanford I. Weill, Chairman of Carnegie Hall's Board of Trustees.  "On behalf of Carnegie Hall, I would like to thank the Rockefeller and Peter Jay Sharp foundations for their wonderful support of the orchestra in its inaugural year."   

"The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America," said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation.  "Carnegie Hall has developed a true innovation by providing America's youth with high-quality musical training that allows them to perform under the direction of a world-class conductor in some of the greatest concert halls in the world, as well as serving as extraordinary cultural ambassadors for the United States."

National Youth Orchestra of the USA: How Students Can Apply

The first National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America will come together from June 30 through July 23, 2013.

Students from all 50 states who are US citizens or permanent residents, ages 16-19 during the period of the 2013 summer program (participants' birthdates between July 1, 1993 and June 30, 1997), are invited to apply to Carnegie Hall's new NYO-USA program.  Students who are enrolled full-time in a college-level conservatory or university music department with instrumental performance as a major will not be eligible.  Musicians may apply on the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, harp, percussion (including timpani), and orchestral piano/keyboard.

Applications will be accepted beginning on June 1, 2012.  To be considered for a position, students should complete online registration by September 7, 2012 and submit all required supporting materials, including an audition video by November 1, 2012.  For more information on the NYO-USA, including audition requirements and details on the application process, please visit www.carnegiehall.org/nyousa.  

For more information on Carnegie Hall and other Weill Music Institute programs, please visit carnegiehall.org.

SOURCE Carnegie Hall